Systems, methods, and computer program products for providing an electronic receipt

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides an exemplary system, method, and computer program product. The exemplary system includes at least one non-transitory memory storing user account information, wherein the information comprises a digital receipt associated with a user purchase and one or more conditions for delivering the digital receipt. The system further includes one or more hardware processors coupled to the at least one memory and operable to read instructions from the at least one memory to perform the steps of: receiving a payment request from a user; receiving at least one condition from the user for delivering a digital receipt associated with the payment request to at least one recipient; determining whether the at least one condition is satisfied; and delivering the digital receipt to the at least one recipient.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to electronic transactions and,more particularly, to techniques for automatically generating anelectronic receipt from a Point of Sale (POS) and transmitting theelectronic receipt to an identified recipient at a predetermined pointin time in the future.

Related Art

It is common for consumers to perform online transactions with anever-increasing number of online merchants that may or may not have aphysical real world counterpart. The popularity of online merchants ispartially attributable to the ease and convenience of making and keepingtrack of online transactions when compared to transactions at physicalcommercial locations.

Merchants at physical commercial locations are also seeking toincorporate certain electronic transaction features to increase the easeand convenience of making and keeping track of transactions performed atthe physical location. However, neither the online merchants normerchants at physical commercial locations have fully utilized thepotential of electronic transactions to create a better shoppingexperience for their customers.

Therefore, while existing electronic transactions have been generallyadequate for their intended purpose, their capabilities have not beenfully utilized in certain aspects. Accordingly, it would be advantageousto more fully utilize capabilities of electronic transactions to improvethe shopping experience of customers that are shopping at onlinemerchants and at physical commercial locations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration showing a system, according to various aspectsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an example method, according to variousaspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an example method, according to variousaspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example computer system suitable forimplementing various methods and devices described, according to variousaspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides manydifferent embodiments, or examples, for implementing different featuresof the present disclosure. Specific examples of components andarrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure.These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to belimiting. Various features may be arbitrarily drawn in different scalesfor simplicity and clarity.

One embodiment of the present disclosure involves a system. The systemincludes at least one non-transitory memory storing user accountinformation, wherein the information comprises a digital receiptassociated with a user purchase and one or more conditions fordelivering the digital receipt. The system further includes one or morehardware processors coupled to the at least one memory and operable toread instructions from the at least one memory to perform the steps of:receiving a payment request from a user; receiving at least onecondition from the user for delivering a digital receipt associated withthe payment request to at least one recipient; determining whether theat least one condition is satisfied; and delivering the digital receiptto the at least one recipient.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure involves a method. Themethod includes receiving a payment request from a user. The methodfurther includes receiving at least one condition from the user fordelivering a digital receipt associated with the payment request to atleast one recipient. The method further includes determining whether theat least one condition is satisfied. The method further includesdelivering, electronically by a hardware processor, the digital receiptto the at least one recipient.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure involves an electronicdevice. The electronic device includes a non-transitory, tangiblecomputer readable storage medium storing a computer program. Thecomputer program contains instructions that when executed perform:receiving a payment request from a user; receiving at least onecondition from the user for delivering a digital receipt associated withthe payment request to at least one recipient; determining whether theat least one condition is satisfied; and delivering the digital receiptto the at least one recipient.

As the Internet continues to evolve, consumers have become accustomed toreceiving electronic information on computers and on mobile devices.According to the various aspects of the present disclosure, a system,method, and electronic device are discussed below that take advantage ofcustomer's comfort in receiving electronic information to provide aneasier and more convenient approach to making and keeping track of theirtransactions. For instance, one embodiment includes methods whereby acustomer makes a purchase at an online merchant and then designates aperson and a specific date that the item purchased is to be received bythe person. The customer, during or after the online transaction, isalso able to designate electronic account information (e.g., emailaddress, telephone number, Facebook, Twitter, etc. . . . ) of the personreceiving the purchased item so that an electronic receipt or a link,where the electronic receipt can be accessed, may be sent to theperson/recipient based on a condition, such as at a specific date/timeor when an event occurs.

Another instance includes embodiments where the customer makes anin-person purchase (e.g., a gift) at a physical merchant. During (orafter) the purchase transaction, the customer is given an opportunity todesignate electronic account information (e.g., email address, telephonenumber, Facebook, Twitter, etc. . . . ) for a person receiving thepurchased item and a condition, such as a specific date/time or an eventwhen an electronic receipt or a link where the electronic receipt can beaccessed, may be sent to the person/recipient or to differentrecipients. The customer may also provide this information to themerchant, after the purchase transaction, by accessing a websiteassociated with the merchant and optionally logging on, for example,with a username and password or with a code located on a physicalreceipt received at time of purchase.

The electronic receipt, either transmitted directly or accessed via alink, may take various forms and include various designated content. Forexample, the electronic receipt may be a digital representation of acomplete sales receipt or a limited redacted receipt such as a giftreceipt having the purchase price removed or with select informationremoved that is designated by the customer that made the purchase.

In certain instances, the customer may receive confirmation that theelectronic receipt or link was sent and/or accessed by the intendedrecipient (i.e., person/recipient designated by the customer) ordifferent recipients. Further, the customer may also have the ability toaccess and/or modify the information of the person/recipient or the formand content of the electronic receipt before the occurrence of thecondition.

Thus, according to various embodiments, a customer seeking to purchasean item is provided with the opportunity to designate one or morerecipient that is to receive electronic information, such as a digitalreceipt, based on at least one condition, to thereby provide an easierand more convenient approach to making and keeping track of purchasetransactions.

FIG. 1 represents an illustration of a system 100 according to variousaspects of the present disclosure. The system 100 is configured tofacilitate communication between customer devices, online and physicalmerchants, and devices of a recipient that is associated with atransaction between the customer and the merchant. In FIG. 1, inaccordance with one embodiment, a customer 102 utilizes a computer 104,a mobile device 106, or any appropriate device operable to communicatevia a network 108 with online merchants 110 and execute a purchasetransaction. The online merchant 110 utilizes server 112 to storepurchase related information in database 114. The purchase relatedinformation is subsequently sent to computer 116 and/or mobile device118 of recipient 120 and/or to different recipients at a future point intime according to embodiments described further below.

The computers 104 and 116 may include any computer. Examples includedesktop computers or notebook, laptop, and tablet computers. Thecomputers 104 and 116 may include a processor, computer readable mediumconfigured to store executable programs/applications, input/outputinterface such as a display and keyboard, and network communicationelements (e.g., modem, wireless card, etc. . . . ) configured to connectto network 108 via a wired or a wireless network communication. Examplesof network connections include LAN, WLAN, PTSN, and/or various otherwired or wireless networks, including telecommunications, mobile, andcellular telephone networks such as IEEE 802.11 (WiFi), IEEE 802.15(Bluetooth), GSM, CDMA, 3G, 4G, LTE, WIMAX, DLNA, HDMI, etc.

Mobile device 106 and 118 may include any type of mobile deviceconfigured to access digital data over a network. Examples include atablet computer (such as an iPad™ tablet computer), an MP3 player (suchas an iPod™ music player), an e-book reader (such as the Kindle™reader), a smartphone (such as the iPhone™ phone) and/or the like. Themobile devices 106 and 118 include programs and/or applications storedon computer readable medium that utilize the above disclosed equipmentfor input/output (I/O) of data. Mobile devices 106 and 118 include atleast one network connection operable to access network 108 communicatewith at least one website associated with the online merchant 110 and/orthe server 112 associated with the online merchant 112 and/or a websiteassociated with the physical merchant 122 and/or the server 124associated with physical merchant 122. Servers 112 and 124 may compriseonly one server or several servers which may be configured in a clusteror linked together directly/indirectly. Servers 112 and 124 maycommunicate with their respective associated merchants 110 and 122either directly (e.g., over a direct communication path) or indirectly(e.g., over network 108) to receive purchase related information andstore the information in database 114 and 126, respectively.

Still referring to FIG. 1, online merchant 110 may utilize a webpageaccessible by customer 102 devices to present an online store tocustomers. For example, the webpage of online merchant 110 may beimplemented on a server having access to network 108 such that customer102 devices 104 and 106 may obtain access to the webpage and executepurchase transactions related to various items (e.g., products orservices) listed for sale. As part of executing purchase transactions,the webpage may include a form or interface (e.g., GUI) configured toobtain purchase related information such as customer 102 name, address,email, telephone number, payment information (e.g., debit/credit card,PayPal, etc.), and recipient 120 information including name, address,email, telephone number, account, etc. As noted above, online merchant110 may communicate either directly or indirectly with server 112 totransmit purchase related information which is stored in database 114.As will be described below, the online merchant 110 and/or associatedserver 112 utilizes the purchase related information to generate anelectronic receipt (e.g., a digital receipt) that will be transmitted todevices 116 and/or 118 of recipient 120 and/or different recipientsbased on at least one condition.

Physical merchant 122 may be a static physical location (e.g.,brick-and-mortar storefront) or a dynamic physical location (e.g.,mobile sales person). Physical merchant 122 includes equipment forprocessing customer payment transactions. The equipment processespayment transactions of cash, checks, debit/credit cards, PayPal, etc. .. . , and obtains payment related information such as customer 102 name,address, email, telephone number, and recipient 120 informationincluding name, address, email, telephone number, etc. The equipment mayinclude a barcode scanner, an electronic cash register and/or a cardreader (e.g., standard debit/credit card reader and/or PayPal Here cardreader) in communication with a computer and/or a mobile deviceincluding a processor, memory, and communication module operable toprocess payment transactions and communicate payment related informationover the network 108 to server 124. The equipment may also include areceipt printer, customer terminals, display screen, and otherappropriate devices. As will be described below, the physical merchant122 and/or associated server 124 utilizes the purchase relatedinformation to generate an electronic receipt that will be transmittedto devices 116 and/or 118 of recipient 120 and/or different recipientsbased on at least one condition.

Customer 102 may use computer 104 and/or mobile device 106 to accesscontent provided by online merchant 110 by, e.g., accessing a website ofonline merchant 110 through a web browser or a specialized applicationexecuting on the customer's 102 computer 104 and/or mobile device 106.For example, customer 102 may be seeking to purchase a specific item(e.g., a gift for a person/recipient 120) at a website of the onlinemerchant 110. Using the computer 104 and/or mobile device 106, customer102 may gain access to the network 108 and thereafter direct a webbrowser of the computer 104 and/or mobile device 106 to onlinemerchant's 110 website. The online merchant 110 may be any onlinemerchant such as eBay, Amazon, Yahoo Shopping, etc. . . . , that hasonly an online presence or may be an online merchant such as Best Buy,Costco, Verizon, etc. . . . , that has both an online presence and aphysical presence. Once at the online merchant's 110 website, customer102 views a list of items for sale (e.g., products and/or services) andidentifies a specific item sought. After locating the specific item,customer 102 executes a purchase transaction which may include utilizinga form or an interface (e.g., GUI) to provide purchase relatedinformation such as customer 102 name, address, email, telephone number,payment information (e.g., bank account, debit/credit card, PayPal, etc.. . . ).

In an embodiment, at the time of the purchase transaction, customer 102is also allowed to indicate in the form/interface that the purchaseditem is intended for a different person/recipient (e.g., in the presentembodiment, the different person is recipient 120). Where customer 102indicates that a different person is intended to receive the itempurchased, customer 102 is provided an opportunity to input recipient120 information including name, address, email address, telephonenumber, etc. The information may also include an intended date that theitem purchased is to be received by the recipient 120 (e.g., where theitem is intended as a gift, a particular day may be appropriate). Infurther embodiments, customer 102 also indicates if and when anelectronic receipt of the item purchased is to be sent to recipient 120.For instance, customer 102 may indicate at least one condition such as aspecific date and/or a specific event (e.g., delivery confirmation) totransmit the electronic receipt to devices 116 and 118 of recipient 120.The specific date may be before, at, or after the time of delivery.Delivery confirmation, for example, may be received by the onlinemerchant 110 from common carriers such as United Postal Service (UPS),Federal Express (FedEx), DHL, United States Postal Service (USPS), etc.In certain embodiments, customer 102 also indicates a preferred methodof delivery of the electronic receipt (e.g., email or text message).

Utilizing the form/interface, customer 102 may be also able to indicatethe format/information contained in the electronic receipt. For example,the customer may indicate whether the electronic receipt should be acomplete sales receipt (i.e., include all information) or if it shouldbe a limited redacted receipt (i.e., include only customer 102 specifiedinformation which may include redacting customer 102 name, paymentinformation, payment amount, etc. . . . ). As an example, a gift receiptis a limited receipt that is used for proof of a transaction for thepurpose of exchanging or returning a purchased item and which omitscertain information such as the price that was paid for the purchaseditem. The electronic receipt may include a barcode (e.g., along thebottom) so that the merchant can call up the transaction informationfrom a database of previous purchases, authenticating an exchange orreturn.

In certain cases, customer 102 may elect not to indicate that thepurchased item is intended for a different person/recipient at the timeof purchase. For example, customer 102 may not have the necessaryinformation regarding the intended person/recipient (e.g., name,address, email, phone, etc. . . . ) on hand at time of purchase and thusmay elect not to indicate that the purchased item is intended for adifferent person/recipient. As such, in further embodiments, after thepurchase transaction has been completed, customer 102 may obtain thenecessary information regarding the intended person/recipient and thendecide to have an electronic receipt for the item purchased transmittedto the intended person/recipient based on the satisfaction of at leastone condition. In such instances, customer 102 access the onlinemerchant's 110 website and logs on (e.g., enters a username/passwordcombination or inputs a code provided by the online merchant 110 at timeof the purchase) to accesses an account associated with the purchaseditem. Once the account has been accessed, customer 102 is again allowedto input the relevant information regarding recipient 120 and thecondition, and format/information in the electronic receipt, in the samemanner as described above.

Further, after inputting the relevant information regarding recipient120, customer 102 also has the ability to access merchant's 110 websiteagain and modify the information of recipient 120 or the form andcontent of the electronic receipt before the occurrence of thecondition. For example, customer 102 may have a change of heart anddecide not to designate recipient 120 as the person intended to receivethe purchased item. In such cases, customer 102 can log in, as discussedabove, to merchant's 110 website to modify provided information, such asremove recipient 120 as the person intended to receive the purchaseditem and/or to modify and remove/delete any electronic receiptinformation provided.

After receiving the purchase related information (including informationregarding recipient 120, condition such as date/event, and receiptformat/information), online merchant 110 may communicate either directly(e.g., over a direct communication link) or indirectly (e.g., overnetwork 108) with server 112 to store purchase related information indatabase 114 for future use. Online merchant 110 and/or associatedserver 112 utilizes the purchase related information to generate anelectronic receipt that is to be transmitted to devices 116 and 118 ofrecipient 120. Based on the condition (e.g., at the predetermined dateor delivery confirmation), online merchant 110 and/or server 112transmits the generated electronic receipt to recipient's 120 account(e.g., email address, telephone number, etc. . . . ) and/or differentrecipients over the network 108. For instance, online merchant 110and/or server 112 may transmit an email and/or a text message torecipient's 120 email account and/or telephone number, including theelectronic receipt as inline text, as an attachment (e.g., PDF, Word,etc. . . . ), and/or as a selectable link to an online location thatcontains the electronic receipt (e.g., online merchant's 110 website,server 112, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) which may be viewed and/ordownloaded. In alternative embodiments, a service provider (e.g., thirdparty) receives data from the merchant and generates and/or transmitsthe electronic receipt to recipient 120 and/or different recipients.

In response to receiving the email and/or text message, recipient 120 isable to use computer 112 and/or mobile device 118 to view, retrieve,and/or download the electronic receipt over network 108. In certaininstances, the customer 102 may receive confirmation that the emailand/or text including the electronic receipt or link was sent and/oraccessed by recipient 120.

Referring again to FIG. 1, rather than using computer 104 and/or mobiledevice 106 to make an online purchase, as described above, customer 102may elect to visit physical merchant 122 and execute an in-personpurchase transaction while present at the physical merchant 122. In suchinstances, for example, customer 102 visits physical merchant 122 andidentifies a specific item (e.g., a gift for a person/recipient 120) topurchase. The physical merchant 122 will perform a check out processthat utilizes equipment for processing payment transactions related tothe purchased item. For example, a barcode scanner may be used to scan acode (e.g., bar code, UPC, etc.) to obtain item information includingprice. Thereafter, a debit/credit card reader and/or a PayPal Here cardreader in communication with a computer is used to process paymenttransactions and to communicate various payment related information overthe network 108. The equipment, for example, processes paymenttransactions of cash, checks, debit/credit cards, PayPal, etc.

During the checkout process, the merchant 122 may also obtain paymentrelated information such as customer 102 name, address, email, telephonenumber. At the same time, customer 102 is also given the opportunity toprovide information regarding an intended person/recipient of the itempurchased. For example, if the purchased item is intended as a gift forrecipient 120, customer 102 is able to indicate recipient 120information including name, address, email, telephone number, etc. Also,customer 102 is able to indicate if and when an electronic receipt ofthe item purchased is to be sent to computer 116 and/or mobile device118 of recipient 120. For instance, customer 102 may indicate at leastone condition, such as a specific date and/or a specific event (e.g.,delivery confirmation) to transmit the electronic receipt to devices 116and 118 of recipient 120. The specific date may be before, at, or afterthe time of delivery. Delivery confirmation, for example, may bereceived by the merchant 122 from common carriers such as United PostalService (UPS), Federal Express (FedEx), DHL, United States PostalService (USPS), etc. In certain embodiments, customer 102 also indicatesa preferred method of delivery of the electronic receipt (e.g., email ortext message).

Further, during the checkout process, customer 102 may be also able toindicate the format of the electronic receipt. For example, the customermay indicate whether the electronic receipt should be a complete salesreceipt (i.e., include all information) or if it should be a limitedredacted receipt (i.e., include only customer 102 specified informationwhich may include redacting customer 102 name, payment information,payment amount, etc. . . . ). As an example, a gift receipt is a limitedreceipt that is used for proof of a transaction for the purpose ofexchanging or returning a purchased item and which omits certaininformation such as the price that was paid for the purchased item. Theelectronic receipt may include a barcode (e.g., along the bottom) sothat the merchant can call up the transaction information from adatabase of previous purchases, authenticating an exchange or return.

After the checkout process is complete, a receipt printer may be used togenerate a physical sales receipt, which is provided to customer 102.The sales receipt may include a physical merchant's 122 website addressand code which may be used to logon to the website and modifytransaction information.

In certain cases, for example, customer 102 may elect not to indicatethat the purchased item is intended for a different person/recipient atthe time of purchase. For example, customer 102 may not have thenecessary information regarding the intended person/recipient (e.g.,name, address, email, phone, etc. . . . ) on hand at time of purchaseand thus may elect not to indicate that the purchased item is intendedfor a different person/recipient. As such, in further embodiments, afterthe purchase transaction has been completed, customer 102 may obtain thenecessary information regarding the intended person/recipient and thendecide to have an electronic receipt for the item purchased transmittedto the intended person/recipient based on a condition, such as at aspecified date/time or according to an event. In such instances,customer 102 may use computer 104 or mobile device 106 to access thephysical merchant's 122 website, provided on the sales receipt, and logon (e.g., enter a username/password combination or input the codeprovided on the sales receipt) to access an account associated with thepurchased item. Once the account has been accessed, customer 102 isagain allowed to input the relevant information regarding recipient 120and the electronic receipt transmission condition and receiptformat/information, via a form/interface.

Further, after inputting the relevant information regarding recipient120, customer 102 also has the ability to again access the websiteassociated with merchant 122 website and modify the information ofrecipient 120 or the form and content of the electronic receipt beforethe condition occurrence. For example, customer 102 may have a change ofheart and decide not to designate recipient 120 as the person intendedto receive the purchased item. In such cases, customer 102 can log in,as discussed above, to the website associated with merchant 122 toremove recipient 120 as the person intended to receive the purchaseditem and/or to remove any electronic receipt information provided.

After receiving the purchase related information (including informationregarding recipient 120 and condition, and receipt format), physicalmerchant 122 may communicate either directly (e.g., over a directcommunication link) or indirectly (e.g., over network 108) with server124 to store purchase related information in database 126 for futureuse. Physical merchant 122 and/or associated server 124 utilizes thepurchase related information to generate an electronic receipt that isto be transmitted to devices 116 and 118 of recipient 120. Based on thesatisfaction of the condition, (e.g., at the predetermined date ordelivery confirmation), physical merchant 122 and/or server 124transmits the generated electronic receipt to recipient's 120 account(e.g., email address, telephone number, etc. . . . ) and/or differentrecipients over the network 108. For instance, physical merchant 122and/or server 124 may transmit an email and/or a text message torecipient's 120 email account and/or telephone number, including theelectronic receipt as inline text, as an attachment (e.g., PDF, Word,etc. . . . ), and/or as a selectable link to an online location thatcontains the electronic receipt (e.g., online merchant's 110 website,server 112, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) which may be viewed and/ordownloaded. In alternative embodiments, a service provider (e.g., thirdparty) receives data from the merchant and generates and/or transmitsthe electronic receipt to recipient 120 and/or different recipients.

In response to receiving the email and/or text message, recipient 120 isable to use computer 112 and/or mobile device 118 to view, retrieve,and/or download the electronic receipt over network 108. In certaininstances, the customer 102 may receive confirmation that the emailand/or text including the electronic receipt or link was sent and/oraccessed by recipient 120.

The various embodiments described above provide one or more advantages.For instance, a customer utilizing the above described computer and/ormobile device will experience a more efficient shopping experience bybeing able to specify a condition (e.g., specific date/time and/or anevent) to transmit an electronic receipt to an intended recipient,thereby increasing sales for online merchants. Further, physicalmerchants also benefit by increasing their exposure to customers thatwould have been online shoppers because of the efficient shoppingexperience associated with the electronic receipts, thereby driving morecustomers to physical merchant locations. Furthermore, physicalmerchants that receive additional traffic also increase the probabilityof additional transactions that may result from impulse buys.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of process 200 according to one embodiment.Process 200 may be performed, for example, by an online merchant and/orby a physical merchant.

At block 202, communication occurs with a customer to facilitatereceiving purchase related information in connection with a purchase ofan item by the customer. The communication is between the customerand/or the customer's device and the merchant. The merchant may be, forexample, an online merchant and/or a physical merchant, as discussedabove.

At block 204, the payment information in connection with the purchase ofthe item is received from the customer. Receiving the paymentinformation may include utilizing an interface to receive the paymentinformation.

At block 206, electronic receipt information in connection with thepurchase of the item is received from the customer. The electronicreceipt information includes information regarding an account of adesignated recipient and information regarding a predetermined time whenan electronic receipt is to be transmitted to the account of thedesignated recipient. The account of the designated recipient mayinclude an account selected from the group consisting of an emailaccount and a telephone account.

At block 208, the electronic receipt is transmitted to the account ofthe designated recipient at the predetermined time. The electronicreceipt may be sent to the email account of the designated recipientsuch that a computer of the designated recipient receives the messageincluding the electronic receipt as an email message.

Various embodiments include an application running on an electronicdevice that performs a method. For instance, an application may includecomputer-readable code running on one or more processors. The processorexecutes the code to perform the actions described below. FIG. 3 is anillustration of exemplary process 300, adapted according to oneembodiment, which may be performed by an application on the electronicdevice.

At block 302, a payment request is received from a user. The paymentrequest may be regarding products or services for sale. For instance, apayment request regarding an item to be purchased may be provided by acustomer selecting an item listed on a website of an online merchant orit may be provided at a physical merchant by scanning a code, orproviding other data representative of the item at a computer terminalor an electronic cash register during a checkout process.

At block 304, at least one condition is received from the user fordelivering a digital receipt associated with the payment request to atleast one recipient, as discussed above. The at least one condition maycomprise a date or a deliver confirmation, or any other condition, asdiscussed above.

At block 306, it is determined whether the at least one condition issatisfied.

At block 308, the digital receipt is delivered to the at least onerecipient. The digital receipt may be delivered, for example, by aservice provider, by a merchant, or by any other appropriate means.

It is understood that the processes 200 and 300 may include additionalsteps that may be performed before, during, or after actions describedabove. For example, additional steps may include gaining access to anetwork and/or website to the customer. Further, the customer may berequired to enter a correct combination of a username and a password ora code. In some instances, the customer is prompted to become a member,if the customer is not already a member. In addition, one or more of thesteps described herein may be omitted, combined, or performed in adifferent order as desired.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example computer system 400 suitable forimplementing various methods and devices described herein, for example,the various method blocks of the method 200 and 300. In variousimplementations, user devices may comprise a network communicationsdevice (e.g., laptop, personal computer, tablet, mobile cellular phone,etc.) capable of communicating with a network, and a merchant device maycomprise a network computing device (e.g., a network server, a computerprocessor, an electronic communications interface, etc). Accordingly, itshould be appreciated that each of the devices may be implemented as thecomputer system 400 for communication with the network in a manner asfollows.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, thecomputer system 400, such as a computer, a mobile device, and/or anetwork server, includes a bus component 402 or other communicationmechanisms for communicating information, which interconnects subsystemsand components, such as processing component 404 (e.g., processor,micro-controller, digital signal processor (DSP), etc.), system memorycomponent 406 (e.g., RAM), static storage component 408 (e.g., ROM),disk drive component 410 (e.g., magnetic or optical), network interfacecomponent 412 (e.g., modem or Ethernet card), display component 414(e.g., cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD)), inputcomponent 416 (e.g., keyboard), cursor control component 418 (e.g.,mouse or trackball), and image capture component 420 (e.g., analog ordigital camera). In one implementation, disk drive component 410 maycomprise an array having one or more disk drive components.

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, computersystem 400 performs specific operations by processor 404 executing oneor more sequences of one or more instructions contained in system memorycomponent 406. Such instructions may be read into system memorycomponent 406 from another computer readable medium, such as staticstorage component 408 or disk drive component 410. In other embodiments,hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of (or in combination with)software instructions to implement the present disclosure.

Logic may be encoded in a computer readable medium, which may refer toany medium that participates in providing instructions to processor 404for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but notlimited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. In one embodiment,the computer readable medium is non-transitory. In variousimplementations, non-volatile media includes optical or magnetic disks,such as disk drive component 410, and volatile media includes dynamicmemory, such as system memory component 406. In one aspect, data andinformation related to execution instructions may be transmitted tocomputer system 400 via a transmission media, such as in the form ofacoustic or light waves, including those generated during radio wave andinfrared data communications. In various implementations, transmissionmedia may include coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics,including wires that comprise bus 402.

Some common forms of computer readable media includes, for example,floppy disk, flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magneticmedium, CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, anyother physical medium with patterns of holes, RAM, PROM, EPROM,FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any othernon-transitory medium from which a computer is adapted to read.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, execution ofinstruction sequences to practice the present disclosure may beperformed by computer system 400. In various other embodiments of thepresent disclosure, a plurality of computer systems 400 coupled bycommunication link 430 (e.g., a communications network, such as a LAN,WLAN, PTSN, and/or various other wired or wireless networks, includingtelecommunications, mobile, and cellular telephone networks such as IEEE802.11 (WiFi), IEEE 802.15 (Bluetooth), GSM, CDMA, 3G, 4G, LTE, WIMAX,DLNA, HDMI, etc.) may perform instruction sequences to practice thepresent disclosure in coordination with one another.

Computer system 400 may transmit and receive messages, data, informationand instructions, including one or more programs (i.e., applicationcode) through communication link 430 and communication interface 412.Received program code may be executed by processor 404 as receivedand/or stored in disk drive component 410 or some other non-volatilestorage component for execution.

Where applicable, various embodiments provided by the present disclosuremay be implemented using hardware, software, or combinations of hardwareand software. Also, where applicable, the various hardware componentsand/or software components set forth herein may be combined intocomposite components comprising software, hardware, and/or both withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present disclosure. Where applicable,the various hardware components and/or software components set forthherein may be separated into sub-components comprising software,hardware, or both without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure. In addition, where applicable, it is contemplated thatsoftware components may be implemented as hardware components andvice-versa.

Software, in accordance with the present disclosure, such as computerprogram code and/or data, may be stored on one or more computer readablemediums. It is also contemplated that software identified herein may beimplemented using one or more general purpose or specific purposecomputers and/or computer systems, networked and/or otherwise. Whereapplicable, the ordering of various steps described herein may bechanged, combined into composite steps, and/or separated into sub-stepsto provide features described herein.

It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used toidentify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures,wherein these labeled figures are for purposes of illustratingembodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limitingthe same.

The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the present disclosureto the precise forms or particular fields of use disclosed. As such, itis contemplated that various alternate embodiments and/or modificationsto the present disclosure, whether explicitly described or impliedherein, are possible in light of the disclosure. Having thus describedembodiments of the present disclosure, persons of ordinary skill in theart will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the presentdisclosure is limited only by the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: at least one non-transitorymemory storing user account information; and one or more hardwareprocessors coupled to the at least one non-transitory memory andconfigured to read instructions from the at least one non-transitorymemory to cause the system to perform operations comprising: processingan online payment request from a customer to complete a purchase of anitem and instructions to deliver the item to at least one recipient thatis different from the customer; receiving, from the customer via agraphical user interface (GUI), an indication to exclude one or morecategories of information from a digital receipt associated with thepurchase; receiving from the customer via the GUI, at least onecondition to be satisfied before transmitting the digital receiptassociated with the purchase to the at least one recipient; determiningthat the at least one condition is satisfied based on receiving adelivery confirmation from a common carrier that the item has beendelivered to the at least one recipient; and in response to determiningthat the at least one condition is satisfied: generating a particulardigital receipt associated with the purchase, the particular digitalreceipt excluding the one or more categories of information; andtransmitting the particular digital receipt to an email account of theat least one recipient.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein thetransmitting is performed by a computer selected from a group consistingof a service provider computer and a merchant computer.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting, to thecustomer, a confirmation message indicating that the particular digitalreceipt was transmitted to the at least one recipient.
 4. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one condition corresponds to apredetermined time.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the predeterminedtime is different from a delivery time associated with delivery of theitem to the at least one recipient.
 6. A method comprising: processing,via an input device, a payment request from a customer to complete apurchase of an item and instructions to deliver the item to at least onerecipient that is different from the customer; receiving, from thecustomer via a graphical user interface (GUI), a designation of one ormore categories of information to be excluded from a digital receiptassociated with the purchase; receiving, from the customer via the GUI,at least one condition to be satisfied before transmitting the digitalreceipt associated with the purchase to the at least one recipient;determining that the at least one condition is satisfied based onreceiving, from a common carrier, a delivery confirmation that the itemhas been delivered to the at least one recipient; and in response todetermining that the at least one condition is satisfied: generating aparticular digital receipt associated with the purchase, the particulardigital receipt excluding the one or more categories of information; andtransmitting the particular digital receipt to an email account of theat least one recipient.
 7. The method of claim 6 further comprisingtransmitting the particular digital receipt to an account of the atleast one recipient via a text message.
 8. The method of claim 6,further comprising transmitting, to the customer, a confirmation messageindicating that the particular digital receipt was transmitted to the atleast one recipient.
 9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium havingstored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause amachine to perform operations comprising: processing a payment requestfrom a customer to complete a purchase of an item and instructions todeliver the item to at least one recipient that is different from thecustomer; receiving, from the customer via a graphical user interface(GUI), an indication to exclude one or more categories of informationfrom a digital receipt associated with the purchase; receiving from thecustomer, via the GUI, at least one condition to be satisfied beforetransmitting the digital receipt associated with the purchase to the atleast one recipient; determining that the at least one condition issatisfied based on receiving, from a common carrier, a deliveryconfirmation that the item has been delivered to the at least onerecipient; and in response to determining that the condition issatisfied: generating a particular digital receipt associated with thepurchase, the particular digital receipt excluding the one or morecategories of information; and transmitting a selectable linkcorresponding to an online merchant website to the at least onerecipient, the selectable link provides access to the particular digitalreceipt.
 10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9,wherein the at least one condition corresponds to a predetermined time.11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein thepredetermined time is different from a delivery time associated withdelivery of the item to the at least one recipient.
 12. Thenon-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the machinecorresponds to a computer selected from a group consisting of a serviceprovider computer and a merchant computer.
 13. The system of claim 1,wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the particulardigital receipt to an account of the at least one recipient via a textmessage.
 14. The method of claim 6, wherein the input device is selectedfrom a group consisting of a service provider computer and a merchantcomputer.
 15. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one conditioncorresponds to a predetermined time.
 16. The method of claim 15, whereinthe predetermined time is different from a delivery time associated withdelivery of the item to the at least one recipient.
 17. Thenon-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein theoperations further comprise transmitting the particular digital receiptto an account of the at least one recipient via a text message.
 18. Thenon-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein theoperations further comprise transmitting, to the customer, aconfirmation message indicating that the particular digital receipt wastransmitted to the at least one recipient.